Electric railway-signal.



PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

R. J. SHBEHY. ELECTRIC 'R'AILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9', 19.92.

no MODEL.

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Patented June 7, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. SHEEHY, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,853, dated June 7', 1904,

V Application filed September 9, 1902. fierial No. 122,667. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. SHEEHY, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway-Signals, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Thisinvention relates to electric railwaysignals, and has special reference to'a block system in which the movement of the cars or trains automatically display or operate signals in the cabs of the motormen or train-drivers.

The objectof the invention is to provide a system adapted for either single or double tracks and to'show thecondition of switches, which shall be as simple as possible and so constructed as to be accurate and certain of operation under -most of the conditions to which the running of the cars and trains is subjected.

More specifically, my invention relates to what are known as third-rail systems of electric railways, the invention consisting of certain circuits and apparatus cooperating directly with the electric conductor which conveys current to the motor of the vehicle and which is known in the art as the third rail when the same is mounted upon the road-bed in substantially the same plane as the rails of the track.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents conventionally a section of road equipped with my improved apparatus. Figs. 2 and 3 show conventional vertical cross-sections of a car and the cooperating signal devices. Fig. 4; illustrates the relative positions of the stationary contact devices with respect to a car; and Fig. 5 illustrates a signal forthe roadside, to be used to indicate the position of switches.

a and a indicate the two rails of a track, which constitute the return-circuit of an electric railway. These rails are bonded and electrically continuous, as usual. Along the rails, either between or outside of one of them, is suitably mounted and insulated any usual form of third rail, (indicated by b.) This is likewise electrically continuous in so far as signaling is concerned. Closely adjacent to the third rail 6 and insulated therefrom is an auxiliary third rail or conductor 0. This is preferably of lighter construction than the main third rail, since it is required to carry a much lighter current, but is mounted parallel to the main third rail and preferably with its upper or contact surface in the same plane with the latter. This conductor cis divided into sections insulated from each other, as indicated at 0, such sections being in length equal to the desired length of the signal-blocks, Fig. 1 showing the larger part of three such blocks, and for convenience of description the sections of the rail 0 (shown in Fig. 1) are numbered 1, 2, and 3, respectively. 7

I will first describe the system for a single-track road, in which case each train must be notified when there is another train in the block ahead of it, regardless of the direction in which it is traveling. From each of the insulated sections 1 2 3, &c., a wire 7 leads to a point a suitable distance into the next adjacent section, where it connects with a solenoid 8 and then leads by Wire 9 to the returncircuit rails a. This solenoid 8 is located at a point where it is desired to operate a signal in the cabs of the trains. The movable core of the solenoid is connected with apivoted lever 10, having a roller 11 at its extremities which is thrown downward when the solenoid is energized. From eachof the sections 1 2 nals on the cars; at which point is located another solenoid 13, the said circuit continuing thence by wire 14: t0 the return-rails a. The

solenoid 13 likewise operates a pivoted lever 1.4 and roller 15 of the same character before described. Each of the levers l0 and 14: in all of the sections is likewise connected to the circuit by a branch wire 16.

The cars or trucks are equipped as follows: The usual shoe for taking current from the main third rail to the motor is indicated at e, and mounted adjacent to it, either upon the same or a different support, is a second shoe 6, which engages with the auxiliary rail 0.

The shoes 0 and e are electrically connected I00 together, so that the auxiliary rail will be energized from the main third rail. Along the roof or cornice of the car is mounted a. railf', exposed in such a position that when the rollers 11 or 15 have been moved by the solenoids they will make contact with the rail 7 while the car is passing. In the cab of the vehicle may be located a signal of any character. I have shown an electric lamp and an electric hell it. A wire 16 leads from the rail fin series through the signal devices y/ and 7b, and thence by wire 17 to the car-axle and return-circuit rails c.

The operation of the system so far described is as follows: \Ve will assume a car or train to be located on block 2, as indicated. Ourrent will flow from the shoe to the shoe (1, and thence by wire 7 to solenoid 8 and wire 9 to the return-circuit. Current will flow from the shoe 0 along section 2 of the auxiliary rail through the wire 12, solenoid 13, and wire 14: to the return-rails 0. Thus solenoids 8 and 13 will be energized and the rollers 11 and 15 will be thrown downward, in which position they will be held as long as a car is in the block. If during this condition a second car or train enters either blocks 1 or 3-say, for instance, block 3 when it reaches the position of the solenoid 8 along the road its rail f will move into contact with the roller 11 and immediately a branch circuit will be established from wire 9, wire 16, lever 10, roller 11, rail f, wire 16, signal devices and 71/, and wire 7 to the return-circuit. Thus the motorman on block 3 will be informed that a train is on the block ahead of him, and he will stop his train until the signals g /L cease to operate, which will happen as soon as the train on block 2 passes onto block 1. The train on block 1 in the meantime would get the signal when roller 15 comes in contact with the rail on the ear; but in this case the train on block 2 would also get the signal indicating the presence of a train on block 1, and there would be two signals to prevent head-on collision, and whichever train had the right of way would proceed on cautiously, while the other would back onto the siding.

The operations on a double-track road would be simpler, since it would require only one circuit and solenoid for each section-that is to say, the train on block 2 would set the solenoid 8 to notify any train following it, whereas the solenoid 13 and its connections would not be required.

Similar devices may be used to inform the motorman of the position of a switch. For instance, a switch a is shown whose operating-bar s moves a contact-lever into engagement with the third rail whenever the switch is opened onto the side track or turnout. From contact a circuit 18 connects with wires 19 and 20, leading, respectively, suitable distances up and down the track to solenoids 21 and 22 of the same character be- I tore described, but preterably located on the opposite side ol the track. These solenoids operate the rollers as before, but connect with railsf' on the opposite sides ol the cars or trains to operate a dill'erent set ol signals 1 and 7/, thus indicating to the motornian that the switch is open. It may be desirable also to notily atrain standing on the siding and about to back down onto the main track when the main track is clear. For this purpose the circuit leading from block 2, from which the siding branches, may contain a solenoid such as shown in Fig. 5 to operate a semaphore which would give the required indication.

As described, I have assumed the solenoids 8 13, &c., as located at elevated positions to engage with the rails on the roots of the cars; but obviously they might be put nearer the road-bed, as indicated at u and p, to engage rails I, located beneath the car. \Vhen the cars are run in trains, it will be desirable to have at least two solenoids spaced to operate coineidently upon the signals and prevent an interruption of the circuit while rollers are passing from one car to the next. The relative position of such solenoids is shown in Fig. 4. Attention is also called to the fact that resistances may be inserted between the shoes and c, as shown in the drawings, or at any other point in the solenoid-circuits to cut down the current therein for obvious reasons. This resistance may be also given a value to correspond with the length of the branch circuits, which may dilier, and thus enable the use of solenoids wound to a standard.

Obviously it is not essential to use the solenoids at all, since shoes such as shown at f in Fig. 3 may be permanently mounted at positions where they will make contact with the rails on the vehicles, such shoes being connceted by wires, as 7 and 15, directly with the insulated section of the rail (1. Thus when two trains are on adjacent blocks the signals would be operated as soon as the shoes made contact with the rails on the car. Under certain conditionsas, for instance, in tunnels the sectional rail 0 may be located above the road-bed, on the root or sides 01 the tunnel, and the current conveyed to it from the main third rail by a length of wire leading from the main shoe to the shoe e, which would then be located on the root or some elevated point of the car structure. Hence the described and illustrated relative positions of the two comlucting-rails are not essential to my. invention.

Having described my invention, ,I claim 1. In a railway block-signal svstennthe combination of a third rail conveying propellingcurrent for the cars, an auxiliary sectional rail, devices carried by the car for closing a circuit between the third rail and the. sections of the auxiliary rail, a contact on the roadway and a cooperating contact on the car, said contact on the roadway being in circuit with the sectional rail, and signaling devices in circuit between the contact on the car and a return-conductor, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2'. In a block-signaling system, the combi:

nation of a sectional conductor, means for switching the sections thereof into circuit by the moving car, a signal-circuit leading from each section including an electromagnet, and

a contact adapted to be moved into operative contact-shoes electrically connected together and bearing upon the respective conductors,

a signal-circuit on the car and means whereby the signal-circuit will connect with the open terminals beside the road, substantially as described. v 1 4. In an electric railway signaling system, the combination of a main conductor carrying propelling current, a sectional conductor, means whereby the car will transfer current from one conductor to the other, a circuit leading from each section of the sectional conductor to a terminal located beyond the section, a grounded signal-circuit on the car and means whereby terminal will connect with the signal-circuit, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

4 ROBERT J. SHEEHY. Witnesses:

FRANK S. OBER, W ALDO M. CHAPIN. 

